TULSA, Oklahoma -Tulsa Public Schools and Tulsa Tech announced a new partnership Wednesday, giving high school students a pathway to learn skills in aviation.

The new Aerospace Academy will have juniors and seniors taking classes at Tulsa Tech all day.

The classes will start this fall with 40 students drawn primarily from Tulsa public high schools. The idea started with the mayor’s office several years ago, but has grown to a program designed for students interested in technical trades with aviation.

“I talk to business owners weekly and hear consistently that Tulsa does not have enough trained and qualified workers to fill jobs,” Mayor Dewey Bartlett said.

“As a city, we must be vigilant to the needs of the business community and create a pathway to prosperity for students who would benefit from training and learning a skill that places them in a well-paying career in Tulsa.”

The students will attend two full years of classes at Tulsa Tech at the Jones Riverside Airport and will still graduate from their home high school, leaving with a diploma and a certificate in a trade from Tulsa Tech.

“The Aerospace Academy is going to provide TPS students with the opportunity to get on a solid career track in the aerospace industry, while ensuring they remain on the successful path to graduate from high school,” said Dr. Keith Ballard, superintendent, Tulsa Public Schools.

“It also fills a vital need among Tulsa employers to fill these critical positions in the marketplace. I’d like to applaud the City of Tulsa and Tulsa Tech for their vision in getting this creative program off the ground. I suspect it will be a highly successful program.”